


False Regeneration

by elinorofealdor



Series: Lily's Journeys [4]
Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-08-05
Packaged: 2018-02-11 22:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2085699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elinorofealdor/pseuds/elinorofealdor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a tense time in the Tardis for Lily and the Doctor as their pasts and future seem at odds with their desires. When the Tardis lands in Cardiff to refuel, an old friend shows up to offer support and ask a favor. Yet, as usual, things quickly turn from a possible adventure to a race to save lives - one in particular.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Lily Connors is an Immortal, born in 1596 in Ireland but shortly after her sister's birth in 1598 the family moved to reunite with relatives in Scotland. After the death both of his first wife and her initial intended, she was betrothed to Duncan MacLeod before his untimely death. Distraught by the loss of a lifelong friend and husband-to-be, Lily and her sister traveled back to Ireland where they were both killed by marauders one night returning from a ball near Galway.

Lily awoke to her sister dead, and herself covered in blood, their bodies dumped off the side of the road. She was found by an immortal, Adamo, who claimed to be an Italian courtier travelling the isles. He was, in fact, Methos (the oldest living immortal, even then) and he took her under his care and tutelage. They fell in love, like you do, but Methos had never been with an immortal woman for more than a couple decades and Lily continually had a nagging feeling that Duncan was the man she was always intended for. When Lily received intelligence in the 1770s that Duncan was alive and immortal, she and Methos parted. However, due to other adventures, travels, events, etc, Lily didn't actually find Duncan until 1994. They reunited, and then Methos made his reappearance in her life less than two years later. Duncan and Lily as a couple did not last - they cared deeply for each other, but centuries apart living different lives brought them to the conclusion that they were not meant to be. Still, they remain close friends.

The connection between Lily and Methos, however, has always been undeniable - even when they try to deny it themselves. Then came the near-apocalypse with Kronos, epic romance engaged, and they lived more-or-less-happily ever after... (see story: Lost to Each Other)

Until the Doctor appears (see story: Entrapment). Well, more accurately until Lily is abducted by an alien collective who choose her for companion as appreciation for the Doctor saving the universe. A lot. As they dangle the lives of Methos, Duncan, and Lily agree to travel with the Doctor, she acquiesces rather than risk their lives. What downsides their choice is that they managed to select someone who is both what the Doctor needs, and what he wants. And she, in time, cannot ignore how drawn she is to him.

* * *

 

"I need some air."

Lily walked toward the Tardis' doors, wanting to put some physical distance between her and the Doctor before she did something foolish like hit him, or kiss him. At this point she wasn't sure which would be more damaging.

"Will you be back soon?"

"I can't leave you."

"You're not a prisoner. If you really want to go-"

She stopped, turning her head back towards him as her hand grasped the door handle. She tried to keep her voice steady and refrain from running back and slapping him for his stubborn nature, being too wrapped up in his own thoughts to catch the true import of her last sentence. "That's not what I meant."

With that she willed herself to open the door, walking out into the crisp, fall air of Cardiff. She walked to the nearby railing overlooking a public walkway and Cardiff Bay. She closed her eyes, breathing in the air and trying to regain an emotional equilibrium. A few tears slid down her cheeks and within a minute she dropped her head. Lost in her own thoughts, confused and scared about her future with the Doctor, she didn't hear the footsteps approaching her. She wouldn't have noticed the man standing next to her if the breeze hadn't blown his scent in her direction. Snapping out of her own head, she turned into the arms of Jack Harkness.

"What's he done now?"Jack smoothed her hair as she clung to him, trying to regain her composure.

"Just been himself... and so bloody stubborn about it."

"Sounds familiar. You want me to hit him?"

She chuckled, squeezing Jack tighter for a second before pulling away and looking into his impossibly blue eyes. "Would you really?"

"If you wanted me to, but only for you." He grinned, all dimples and perfect teeth, and Lily smiled back. Jack wiped her face free of tears, and gave her a slightly more than friendly kiss. Lily let his lips linger longer than she should have, but was too emotionally exhausted to resist. As their embrace ended, Jack looked with concern at Lily, noticing her still strained face. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later. Perhaps after you've told me how you just happened to show up here to be a shoulder for me to cry on."

"Well, I confess I didn't plan the shoulder part, but I was trying to catch you two." Jack noticed the Doctor walking toward them. "Doctor, good to see you again."

"And you, Jack." His gave Jack's hand a good shake, and his tone was friendly enough, but Lily heard something behind it - jealousy?

No. Impossible.

"And to what do we owe the pleasure of seeing you, Jack?"

"What, I can't just happen to stop by on a refueling to say 'hello?'" The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Alright. There's something I could use another couple sets of eyes on."

* * *

 

"So what do you think Jack needs us for?"

"Not sure. Well, I have an idea but... why? Aren't you enjoying this?" The Doctor spun Lily, letting her black dress swish across the floor as he kept one hand hovering at her waist.

"Immensely." Her eyes brightened as she smiled at him. Another couple moved past them causing the Doctor to pull Lily closer, laughing as the distance between them closed, dancing cheek to cheek. They ceased talking as both attempted to control brewing emotions.

"Lily, before," he whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry."

"So am I. I know it's been rather tense between us lately. I claim my own share of blame for it."

"I just - I've been trying to find a way to tell you, and every time I think I've found the right way, the right words..."

She pulled back to look him straight in the eyes. She feared what he might say, but she wanted, needed, to hear it nonetheless. "You at a loss for words? That's rare." She didn't meant to tease him, but hoped it might put him more at ease. "Just try. Don't think about the right way; just say it."

"I know after we met, we agreed to be friends. You didn't say anything, but I knew anything more was off limits and I understand that, I really do, but over the years... I've tried, I really have tried, but I can't... I feel... I feel..."

She felt his weight shift, and then he stumbled, almost falling on her. His face paling. "Doctor? Doctor, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Lily..."

He collapsed and she barely had time to steady herself as she eased his body to the floor. She searched the room for their accompanying friend and spotted him chatting to someone at the drinks table. "Jack!"

His head snapped at her voice. Seeing Lily kneeling on the floor, The Doctor's body beside her, he rushed to them. "What happened?"

"I don't know. We were dancing, then he just collapsed." Kneeling at the Doctor's side, Lily felt his chest. "His heartbeats, they're slow. Too slow. We've got to get him back to the room."

A steward approached them, looking concerned. Lily knew if he got close enough to examine the Doctor's 'pulse' he'd be more than concerned. Not to mention what could happen if an ambulance was called.

"Is everything alright?"

Jack stood, meeting the steward at eye level."A little too much champagne, I think. We'll get him back to his room."

"Of course. Would you like some assistance?"

"That won't be necessary."

Whether the steward took Jack's words at face value or saw that the Doctor's companions could handle the matter, he helped lift the unconscious Doctor up then bowed and turned to the other guests, assuring them everything was fine. Lily and Jack made as hasty an exit as prudence allowed.

Once out of the ballroom, Lily's panic took hold."Jack, how much do you know about his biology?"

"A little. Not enough to explain this. He just collapsed? Did he say anything to you before? Did anything strange happen?"

"No, we were just talking, dancing. Jack, I've seen him stricken with any number of bizarre things, but nothing like this."

"Me neither."

They walked in silence back to the room, unsure what could be said to make the situation any less dire or confusing. Once inside the room, Jack lay the Doctor on the bed; Lily sat by his side. "I'll call Gwen and Ianto. We may have to move him to the hub."

"Whatever helps us figure this out."

Lily's voice became distant and Jack knew she was close to breaking down. He knew the Doctor loved her from the moment he saw the Doctor's eyes looking at Lily and Jack talking on the parkway. Her ease and comfort with Jack sent jealousy ablaze in the Doctor's eyes, and Jack caught it. He also noticed that Lily didn't see it, hadn't turned around fast enough. He wondered how many moments like that she'd missed. Now the Doctor lay oblivious to the world, but if he opened his eyes and saw how Lily gazed at him, Jack believed the fears and doubts about revealing his true feelings to her would disperse instantly.

Lily lent down to the Doctor's face. Pressing one hand to his chest, she hovered with one cheek near his mouth and nose to check for breath. She took a deep breath, sighing on the exhale, then her eyes narrowed and she inhaled deeper. "Jack."

Jack wrapped up his call to Torchwood. "Yeah... as soon as you can... thanks." He turned back to Lily. "What is it?"

"Come here. Tell me if you smell that."

Jack mimicked Lily's stance, leaning in to smell. "It smells like, I don't know, sort of like jasmine, and something else. Is it cologne?"

"He never uses it, doesn't need it. I've never smelled anything quite like this." Moving a hand to the Doctor's wrist, she checked the pulse. Raising it back up she sniffed her hand."It's on his wrist, and near his throat. It's like..." Lily pulled the cuff links off the Doctor's suit and smelled them. "It's the cuff links, and the collar buttons."

She handed them to Jack for confirmation. "They're-"

"Poisoned."

"We've got to get him out of this and clean."

Hoisting the skivvied Doctor into the shower was not the highlight of Jack's evening. Nor was divesting his own tux as Lily rushed to the bathroom and turned on the shower, prepping it with every tiny bottle of washing liquid present. Once Jack and the unconscious Doctor were in the shower Lily retreated to the main room, stripping the bed. She piled the bedding next to the Doctor's clothes, placing the cufflinks and collar buttons in a travel baggy. Re-entering the bathroom to wash her hands and arms, she found herself unable to suppress a laugh at seeing Jack struggle to hold up the Doctor while also attempting to wash him.

"This isn't funny."

"I'm sorry. It's not, but... oh, Jack, yes it is. Would you like some help?"

"If you don't think of it as a ploy to see you scantily clad, I would love some."

Lily slipped out of her dress. Keeping her black slip on, she stepped into the shower. "Thanks for getting us such a nice suite. We'd be a bit tight in here otherwise."

"I do what I can. Now, how do we go about this?"

"I think if you can keep him upright I can handle the rest." Lily grabbed the tiny bottle of shampoo and began lathering The Doctor's hair. "At least I don't have to worry about it getting in his eyes."

"No, but you could try and keep it out of my mouth," Jack said as he spit out a mouthful of suds.

Lily giggled. "Sorry. I'm not exactly used to this many people in one shower."

"Tell me about it."

"Never a menage-a-shower for you, then?"

"That's rather cheeky of you..."

"Jack, we're standing in a shower, barely clothed, with a poisoned, unconscious timelord between us. I think we've passed the point where silly questions could be impertinent. Besides, we've seen each other in more intimate ways than this."

"Good point, and no, to answer your semi-impertinent question, I've never been 'involved' in a shower with more than one person."

"Ahhh... and there's the key phrase. 'More than one.'"

"Are you going to tell me in all your years and travels you've never spent quality time in a shower with someone?"

"I'm not one to kiss and tell, Captain Harkness, but I will say this is my first time in such intimate quarters with an immortal man and a timelord."

"I can only imagine what this might be like if all of us were conscious." He winked at Lily as she angled the shower-head to rinse the Doctor's hair, spraying some water in Jack's face.

"I'm not sure it would be as exciting as you might envision, Jack."

"Lily, I know this might not be the ideal time, but while I do have you more or less alone I just wonder... do you regret what happened between us last time?"

Lily busied herself lathering the Doctor's shoulders and arms, trying to think of an appropriate response to Jack's question, unsure one existed. When she reached the Doctor's left hand, Jack took hers, signaling his need for response. She looked up into his bright blue eyes and for a brief moment forgot the unconscious timelord separating them.

"I'm not sure if you want the long or the short answer."

"Whichever is the truth."

"I don't regret it. I needed it, and I don't just mean the sex. I needed the intimacy we shared, just the experience of... you. And I'm grateful for it."

"I sense a 'but' approaching." Lily continued washing the Doctor's opposite arm and moved on to his chest. She wanted to say what her mind screamed, but couldn't bring herself to do it. So Jack did it for her. "I know what that 'but' is about. It's unconscious in my arms right now."

Lily looked up again, damning Jack's intuitiveness and irresistible blue eyes. "That's... that's not-"

"All of it? No, I wouldn't presume to think you had only one reason, but he's the main reason. I understand it. What I don't understand is why neither one of you has yet bothered to cross that line and just say what you feel. Or even skip that and get right to the snogging."

Lily continued washing the Doctor, intent on avoiding speech until she came up with something coherent to say. Once she finished washing the Doctor's legs she stood up and started turning his body around to wash his back. "Flip."

"So not so much with the talking between you two."

"Not as of late, no."

"Lily, did you ever think maybe the reason he gets tongue tied around you sometimes is that he feels-"

"He kissed me, Jack."

Her hands, intent on finishing their work regardless of the uncomfortable conversation, lathered and scrubbed the Doctor's back while her eyes once again found Jack's. If it were possible, she could swear the blue became more intense and even brighter.

"He - wow. When was this?"

"Two days ago."

"What - How was it?"

"Sudden. Brief. Passionate. I still don't think I've found the right word for it, and since then we've been awkward and distant. When you came up to me this morning we'd been fighting."

"I kind of gathered. Does that happen a lot?"

"Not like this. This was... it was a new kind of fight, and I don't think either of us wanted it to happen, but I couldn't hold back anymore, Jack. I just wanted him to tell me why he did it. He tells me so much, but there's still so much that's hidden. Usually I don't mind, but..."

"But when he's hiding his feelings from you it's different." She nodded. "And you have no idea why he kissed you? What it meant to him?"

"Oh, I think I have an idea, but I need him to say it. This time I need to hear it."

"You should have more than an idea by now, sweets. He's completely mad for you and that terrifies him, and he knows it terrifies you."

"Done." Lily turned off the water.

"Lil, you know you're going to have to address this mutual fear the two of you have about getting involved."

"I know. But for now can we just concentrate on making sure he survives to continue our emotional awkwardness?"

He noticed a glimmer of fear in her eyes and decided right then to dedicate all his, and Torchwood's, energy to heal the Doctor. Then perhaps he could help heal the emotional rift between Lily and the Doctor. As Lily helped him haul the Doctor out of the shower, they heard knocking at the suite's main door.

Lily left Jack to handling the Doctor, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself as she moved to the door. Opening it, Ianto stood before her with a large garment bag.

"More clothes?" He asked with a sad, yet slightly cheeky, smile.


	2. Chapter 2

"So what can you tell me about it?"

Lily stood in one of the Torchwood hub labs. The Doctor lay on an exam table, electrodes placed on various extremities, connected to screens of graphs, heart monitors, brain scans, all the latest in human and intergalactic technology - for this time period, anyway. In the next room hundreds of tubes with chemicals of varying colours and viscosities stood on lab tables surrounded by more computer screens and microscopes. Lily stared at it all for a moment before turning to Ianto for answers.

"Well, the downside is it's not quite like anything we know of, and it seems to have been made specifically for his biology, to work through his body very slowly and..."

"And what? It's poison, right?"

"Yes."

"So it's supposed to kill him."

"Well..."

Lily knew what it could mean if there wasn't a cure for this, but the reality didn't hit her until she saw the Doctor laying on the slab with a screen monitoring his heartbeats, showing only feeble beating. Jack came up and turned her to him, away from the Doctor. He looked down at her, but she didn't look up at him. "Lily, this poison was designed to stop a timelord from regenerating. If we don't find a way to stop it-"

"He'll die."

"Eventually."

She looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Near as we can tell, this wasn't designed to kill him. Yet. If we don't find a cure, he'll eventually come out of this, but he won't be able to regenerate again. If he dies, that's it."

"Why would someone do that? I mean, why not just kill him outright if they want him dead?"

"Maybe to make him suffer, or make him more cautious, less apt to take risks if he's only got one life left, don't you think?"

"Doesn't stop me."

"But you can't be killed as easily as he could be. Think about what that could do to him. Knowing if he dies saving the universe they'll be no chance to save it again, and no one to take his place."

Lily stared out, realizing now what this poison's purpose actually was. "It's torture. Whoever, or whatever, did this... it's to torture him before ridding the universe of the last timelord. They don't just want him dead; they want him insane." Her fists clenched at her sides, restraining the rage welling up inside. "Jack, tell me there's some good news here. Tell me there's a way to fight this. Preferably with a lot of violence."

Jack smiled. He knew the Doctor helped her overcome some of the violent tendencies that went along with her lifestyle, but when someone she loved was in real danger what she possessed in spades were cunning and rage. Not a quiet, simmering rage like the Doctor's, but a violent, passionate fury that channeled through her body and would destroy anything that stood in the way of her saving others. Without the Doctor to check her she might destroy entire worlds before deciding enough damage had been done. Jack didn't really have a problem with that (as long as the worlds were deserving in their punishment), but he knew if and when the Doctor woke up, he would. His duty to them both would be to insure Lily did as little damage as necessary to save the Doctor. But he wasn't about to stop her from pursuing whoever caused this.

"Ianto, tell her the good news."

Ianto's face brightened as it always did when he got to bring something useful to dreary circumstances. "We've been working on breaking down the compounds. Most are from earth, and the others we can probably track down. This was thrown together rather hastily. Once we pinpoint all of them we can work on an antidote."

"How long will that take, though?"

"A while. Few days probably. Maybe longer." Lily's face fell. From the looks of the Doctor, he didn't appear to have more than a few days left. "But that's not the best bit."

"So what is?"

"May I, sir?" Ianto looked expectantly at Jack.

"You figured it out, Mr. Sex-tea, you get to share."

Ianto blushed, trying not to stammer. "While it may take us a few days to analyze everything and come up with an antidote, we may be able to get one sooner."

"How?"

"We know where it came from."

Lily raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"And more importantly, who it came from," Jack chimed in. Lily looked from Jack to Ianto, not sure which one to hug first. She went for Ianto, throwing her arms around him and kissing his cheek.

"That's amazing! So who is it?" She pulled back to look at them both. "And how dead can I make them?"

Jack laughed. "I'm not used to having to play the good cop, but I think you're going to make me in this instance."

"Sorry, Jack."

"No, by all means. If you want to be the one doling out the violence, or threat of it, go for it. Just know I'm not going to let you do anything he'd disapprove of." Jack nodded at the Doctor and Lily felt a momentary pang at the thought of doing violence in his name. He wouldn't like it and she knew that, but violence burned inside her, aching for release. It would require a lot of inner strength to refrain from killing anyone associated with causing this. As for not inflicting violence, well, she hoped it could be kept to a minimum that would sate her and not make the Doctor too upset. If he even got out of this with his life and remaining regenerations intact.

Lily inhaled deeply and sighed. "I'll try."

He kissed her head, squeezing her close to him. "I know you will."

"So who is it?"

"Torchwood."

Lily gaped at Ianto. "I'm sorry. I think something must have disconnected in my brain. Did you say 'Torchwood'?"

"I did."

"Jack, how did - why would-"

"Not us, love. One of the other Torchwood branches."

"I thought they were all disabled except this one when Torchwood London was destroyed."

"So did we, but plucky, investigative Ianto here found out otherwise."

"When I realized the compound was a blend of earthly and extraterrestrial materials," Ianto jumped in, "I started investigating who might have access to those substances. It's a long list, but seeing as how most of the ingredients are from earth, I started there. And, well, that's not a very long list. There's us, what's trying to be re-built of UNIT, and.."

"And as Ianto found, little splinter groups leftover from the days when Torchwood wanted a station in every major city around the world."

"I don't understand though," Lily puzzled. "With the other Torchwoods destroyed, where would these groups get the technology and organization to do this? And why would they want to?"

Jack sighed. "Torchwood was originally created to protect humanity from the threat of alien beings. Specifically him." Jack angled his head toward the Doctor. "Didn't he tell you that?"

 _Another cover-up_ , thought Lily. _How many more of these are there?_ She stared down at the body on the table. _Over nine-hundred years, and you think that makes you so much wiser than me. As if anything you've done could shock me. If only you knew about the man who's the reason for my being here now._ "Not so specifically, no."

Jack sensed the building frustration in her. "Well, I can't say I'm sorry anyone's trying to keep mum on why we were created."

"Apparently not mum enough."

"True. In any case, there's a hub based in central Europe. Gwen's gone through records and it looks as though splintered factions of several European Torchwoods are centralized there."

Lily shook her head. "I'm sorry, guys, there's part of this I'm still not getting. Even if Torchwood was created to keep the Doctor at bay, it's because of him, with our help in some cases, that earth is still here. Everything he's done to protect the planet, that means nothing to them?"

Jack sighed. "Lil, you know there are people out there who, no matter what occurs, just can't stand others because they're different."

Lily's face darkened. She knew this not just from her several hundred years of life, or her years of traveling with the Doctor, but from a personal experience that nearly lost both MacLeod and Methos. She remembered the rogue watchers, and how they'd destroyed the life of a young immortal who took his revenge out on 'upstanding' members of the organization. Centuries of mistrust and anger on both sides put people she loved in danger. Duncan put his life on the line to try and save Joe. Methos risked exposing himself to the council to save them both. She narrowly kept them all from imploding. Both sides reached an uneasy truce in the end, but Lily knew some day the hatred would rise again.

"Some days I'm ashamed to be a part of the human race, even if it is a different part." Lily reached out and stroked the Doctor's hair. "Everything he's done, everything he could do. The world would not be here now without him, and they don't care. Just because their narrow minds perceive him as some kind of foreign threat."

Sighing bitterly she added, "And if that's not enough, they won't stop at simply killing him, they have to torture him first. I'm sorry Jack, but if I meet these people face to face even you may not be able to restrain me."

Jack took her hand, once again turning her from the Doctor. "Ianto, would you give us a minute?" Ianto nodded and left them alone.

Once he was out of sight, Jack pulled Lily closer to him. He kissed her hand, her forehead, then enveloped her in his arms. "I know you want revenge; so do I. You have to remember though that acting as they would won't help bring him back. There probably will be some violence for you to dole out, but you have to stay focused, alright?"

Lily nodded, though reluctant to admit it, Jack spoke the truth. She inhaled a long, slow breath, steeling herself.

"You're right. You may have to keep reminding me of that, though."

He smiled at her. "My pleasure. You know how I enjoy being right."

"More than you should," she replied, smiling with genuine hope in her eyes. For a moment that hope, shining through her, was irresistible to Jack. He leaned in and kissed her. Though caught off guard and knowing it wouldn't uncomplicate her life, Lily didn't struggle. She allowed it to happen, to remember for a brief moment how comforting it felt to have Jack's arms holding her, his firm body pressed against hers molding himself to her, mimicking the action of their lips. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't like when she kissed Methos, or even the few brief embraces with the Doctor, but it was good.

**Author's Note:**

> Current Lily Connors Stories (In Chronological Order):  
> Lost in Each Other  
> Entrapment  
> Mythos  
> False Regeneration
> 
> Upcoming Stories:  
> Revenge of the Horsemen (10th Doctor)  
> Stolen Thoughts / The Watchers (10th Doctor)  
> Only Human (10th Doctor)  
> The Last Immortal (10th Doctor & Methos)  
> Reunited (11th Doctor)  
> Planet of the Angels (11th Doctor & River Song)  
> Don't Lose Your Head(less Monks) (11th Doctor & Methos)  
> Captivity (MCU Loki & Thor)  
> Captivity: Asgard (MCU Loki, Thor & 11th Doctor)  
> A Life Worth Saving (MCU Loki, Thor & 11th Doctor)  
> Don't Cross the Mages (MCU Loki, Thor & 10th Doctor)  
> Return of the Angels (MCU Loki, Thor, 11th Doctor & Methos)


End file.
